The animosity between government and public servants deteriorated into an ugly spectre when the latter forced two cabinet ministers to withdraw Bills from the floor of Parliament midweek, and interdicted the awarding of a three percent salary increase for 2016/17. Justice Harold Ruhukya of the Industrial Court will tomorrow (Monday) rule over an application by BOFEPUSU and her trade unions to stop government from awarding the 3 % salary increase announced on March 31. On Thursday public sector federation, motivated the interdiction of the unilateral implementation of a 3 % salary increase for public officers, and to enforce the right to have government bargain in good faith. The federation rejects the 3 % offered by government because it is not a product of the Public Sector Bargaining Council (PSBC) process, which is mandated to negotiate salaries and conditions of service. From the onset Justice Ruhukya differed with government attorneys, Tefo Bogosi and O. Thamuku on their defence that government took the unilateral decision because PSBC is defunct and there was nobody to bargain with. Thamuku conceded that there was no consultation or negotiations undertaken by government with individual trade unions before the increment was declared. She argued that such could…
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